White Chicken Enchiladas
This mouthwatering casserole features savory, chicken-stuffed tortillas baked under a satiny white cream sauce and canopy of bubbling jack cheese. The ultra-flavorful, creamy sauce is elevated with little bits of flavorful green chiles and tangy sour cream so there’s incredible depth of flavor in every bite. These chicken enchiladas are saucy, cheesy, and impossible to stop eating. You’ll be licking up every drop.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
There are very few ingredients in these enchiladas, but flavors soar. When you look at this short ingredient list, you might think, “How can these enchiladas deliver so much flavor?” This meal is a simple marriage of cooked chicken (see note below on what I recommend), tortillas, an easy, homemade cream sauce, and plenty of Monterey jack cheese. And note, we’re not using cream of “anything” soup because we build our sauce from scratch using pantry staples. When you use homemade sauce (versus store-bought soup), you’re in complete control of the flavor. This amazing dish is simple to prepare and a true fan favorite.
Don’t be afraid of the cream sauce! I say this because when folks see a butter-flour roux, they often panic. Take note, you cannot mess up this cream sauce. We start with a simple blend of melted butter and flour. Stand by the stove for a minute, without walking away, and you’ll be fine. It’s just a minute. Then, we create the base of the sauce with chicken broth, not milk or cream, so you don’t have to worry about curdling. Next, we let the sauce cool for 5 minutes before adding sour cream and chiles – again, we do this to prevent curdling. Follow the easy instructions below and you will craft the creamiest, most delicious sauce for these chicken enchiladas.
Here’s what you need for this recipe
- Chicken. This recipe calls for 4 cups of shredded or chopped cooked chicken. There are just two ingredients inside the tortillas – chicken and cheese – so I strongly suggest using ultra-flavorful rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chickens are seasoned and brined, and always come out moist and delicious. If you’d rather use your own cooked chicken, use roasted or poached chicken, or leftover chicken from a previous meal. Both light and dark meat work (or a combination). When using your own cooked chicken, make sure it’s well seasoned.
- Tortillas. The classic choice for these enchiladas is small (fajita-size) flour tortillas. Depending on how thick you stuff the tortillas, you need 8 to 10 for this recipe. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, use gluten-free or corn tortillas instead. When using corn tortillas, warm them in a dry skillet before using to prevent cracking.
- Cheese. I used shredded Monterey jack cheese both in the enchiladas and on top of the sauce. For the best flavor and meltability, I suggest buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. If you’d like a little more heat, use pepper jack cheese. You can also use a shredded Mexican cheese blend.
- Butter and flour. As mentioned above, we use a roux to thicken our cream sauce, and it’s a simple blend of butter and flour. For a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free flour.
- Broth. Chicken broth makes up the bulk of this sauce, so choose a good-quality product. If desired, choose low or no sodium broth.
- Sour cream. Sour cream finishes the sauce and adds richness and tang. I recommend using full fat for the best results; lower fat sour cream often curdles when heated.
- Chopped green chiles. Canned chopped green chiles (sometimes label diced or minced) are ripe chiles that have been roasted, peeled, and chopped. You can use mild, hot, or fire-roasted green chiles in the sauce. Note that even the mild varieties deliver a tiny amount of heat; if you’re sensitive to spiciness, try a sample and adjust the amount you add to the sauce if needed.
- Seasonings. While most white sauces contain no seasonings, I add aromatic onion and garlic to this enchilada sauce; both add depth and complexity. If desired, you may substitute adobo seasoning or taco seasoning.
- Garnishes. While not necessary, garnishes add great color and a burst of fresh flavor to the enchiladas. I suggest fresh green onions or cilantro, or both. Again, you don’t need garnishes to complete this meal!
These white chicken enchiladas are flawless as is, but if you want to beef up the filling, consider these add-ins
- Diced bell peppers
- Minced jalapeños
- Canned black beans, regular or seasoned
- Corn, or canned Mexican-style corn
Can you make these enchiladas in advance? Absolutely, which makes this a great dish to have on deck after a long, busy day, as well as a crowd-pleasing meal to serve at a party. To make these enchiladas in advance, assemble the stuffed tortillas as instructed and arrange them in the pan. Make the sauce as instructed but keep the enchiladas and sauce separate until ready to bake (this prevents soggy tortillas). Cover the enchiladas and sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, pull the enchiladas and sauce from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. If the sauce has thickened too much to pour, reheat it in a saucepan over low heat, adding a little broth or milk if necessary to thin it out. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, top with the cheese and bake as instructed.
How to store leftover chicken enchiladas. Not that you’ll have any leftovers! Cool leftover enchiladas completely, then cover with plastic wrap (or transfer to an airtight container) and refrigerate for up to 3 days. While you can freeze leftovers, sour cream tends to change its texture and separate upon thawing, so it’s not recommended. If you simply must freeze leftovers, transfer the enchiladas to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken, preferably rotisserie chicken, or well-seasoned roasted or poached chicken
- 3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
- 8 to 10 small, fajita-size flour tortillas, or tortillas of choice (i.e., gluten-free, corn)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream, preferably full fat
- 4- ounce can chopped or diced green chilies, mild, hot, or fire-roasted
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, or chopped fresh cilantro, or both, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and 1 cup of the Monterey jack cheese. Mix to combine.
- Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface and spoon an equal amount of the chicken mixture straight down the center. Roll up the tortillas and place them, seam-side down, in the prepared pan. Nestle them tightly if necessary. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour until blended. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds to gently cook the flour (and remove its raw taste). Whisk in the broth, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes (don’t skip this step or the sour cream may curdle).
- Whisk the sour cream into the broth mixture until blended. Fold in the green chilies. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the enchiladas in the pan. Use a spatula to pull the enchiladas from the edges of the pan, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides. Top with the remaining 2 cups of Monterey jack cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese melts. If desired, place the pan under the broiler to get the cheese golden.
- Top with green onions and/or cilantro (if using) and serve